Survivor
by Elle Knight
Summary: The only survivor of a horrific attack on a nearby aid station comes to the 4077th for some much needed healing.
1. Found

I want to dedicate this story to Jon; I love ya! I would also like to dedicate it to all those at the Best Care Anywhere site, and especially to those at the Hawkeye's Haven forum. Thanks for all of your support with the site! This is for you guys!

* * *

Over the roar of gunfire she could hear the shouts of the injured who were scattered in various parts of the battered aid station. On impulse, she ducked her head as the window that was not five feet away from her imploded. A shower of glass and ripped fabric rained down on her.

"Mel!" Someone had shouted her name over the din of at least a dozen guns firing. The noise was cut off abruptly, and the shout cut through the humid air before being cut off once again by the heavy gunfire.

Mel did not attempt to respond to the person who had shouted to her. Instead, she crawled on the ground until she reached the nearest soldier's bed. Grabbing the end of the bed, she stood with caution. Nearly half of the ceiling had caved in and all of the windows in the building had been blown in.

Mel walked, squatted, to the side of the bed. She felt for the soldier's pulse, but the comforting, strong beat was absent. She could have cried for him, but knew that she must go on and finish what she had come here to do.

A second blast rocked the disheveled building, blowing out the wall nearest to Mel. She was thrown against the bed behind her, falling off of the side. Attempting to raise herself from the dirt floor, she was immediately pushed back down by a firm hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" The voice came from a medic who was unfamiliar to her. His face was coated with patches of dirt and drops of dried blood. Sweat beads glistened on his forehead, and Mel noticed that he winced slightly each time he took a breath.

"You're injured," she stated to no one in particular. She tried to get up a second time, but the medic's hold remained surprisingly strong.

"And you're not goin' anywhere!"

"I just want to check you out!" Mel yelled, frustration seeping into her tone.

"No, no I don't need that. It's too late." With those words, Mel stopped struggling. Swallowing past the growing lump in her throat, she continued.

"What about the men?"

"They're all dead. You, me, and a few other medics who just happened to be passing through are the only ones left." This silenced her completely. In the back of her mind she always knew that she would find herself in a situation like this. She thought that she had seen enough death to be able to cope with it, but now that it seemed to be surrounding her, she couldn't help but be afraid.

"Listen to me!" The medic shook her by the shoulders, pulling her from her reverie. "You can get out; maybe bring some help to the one's who are left." Mel shook her head as if she understood, but in reality her thoughts were completely scattered. She could feel herself slowly slipping into a mode of panic and forced herself to listen to the instructions the medic was giving her.

"The Jeep I drove here in should still be behind the building. It's outta the way of the shelling. I left the keys in the ignition. As soon as there's a break, you need to get out there and start up the Jeep. If you drive up the road 10 to 15 miles, you should run across the MASH 4077. You can get help there." Pushing all thought of failure out of her mind, she sat up, propping the medic up against the side of the bed.

"I'll be back soon. I promise." Mel squeezed his shoulder, lightly, before beginning to crawl toward the back entryway of the aid station. Someone had barred the doors shut in an attempt to keep the fighting out. Mel scoffed at the idea. It hadn't helped them in the slightest.

Hastily, and with considerable effort, she cleared away the crates that had been stacked up against the door. Mel settled into the niche she had created for herself with the crates, and leaned closer to the door. She listened carefully for any sign that the fighting had finally stopped. Each time an explosion rocked the small, wooden building, she could feel the bile rise to her throat. Mel knew in her mind that she would have some difficulty in coming out of this alive.

Nearly a half hour passed before the thunderous noise outside stopped, suddenly. A few moments passed before Mel dared peak her head outside. She could hear the fighting start up again a distance away from the station, but the area around her seemed to be completely quiet. On impulse, she grabbed the first aid bag that hung next to the door before sprinting towards the Jeep.

The keys were still in the ignition just as the medic had said they would be. Mel fumbled with the keys for a minute while she tried to will her hands to stop shaking. Pausing, she took a deep breath. She reminded herself that the 4077th was only about 30 minutes away. She would be able to make it there, unharmed, without any problem.

Filled with a renewed sense of self-assurance, Mel started the Jeep and carefully drove it onto the road that the medic had told her would lead her straight to the 4077th. She drew in another deep breath. Within a few minutes, she would be safe, once again, and able to get help for the men she had so hastily left behind. Mel felt herself relax as she steered the Jeep further toward the direction of the 4077th. It wouldn't be long until she could permanently escape from this hell.

* * *

Colonel Sherman Potter attempted to rid himself of his pounding headache by massaging his temples, hoping this would alleviate the tension. When this didn't work, he got up from his desk and reached for the liquor cabinet that he kept in the back of his office.

"Radar!" He shouted toward his open office door.

"Yes, sir?" Corporal Radar O' Reilly hurried through the office door, a file folder clutched tightly in his grasp.

:"Get me Pierce and Hunnicutt, pronto! I have an assignment that needs attention, now."

"I think they're sleeping in their tent, sir."

"Well, go wake 'em up, and tell them to get to my office immediately."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." Radar walked quickly out of the office, but not before depositing the folder on the end of the Colonel's desk.

Colonel Potter set the folder on top of the growing "To do" pile. After nearly 24 hours straight of meatball surgery, all he wanted was some hard earned rest. He hated to interrupt Pierce and Hunnicutt's much needed sleep. He made a personal vow to give them a short holiday in Tokyo when all this was over. He wouldn't ask the two men to do this for him if he didn't know that they could handle it. He needed his best men out on this, and Hawkeye and B.J. undoubtedly fit his expectation.

"Colonel, please tell me that you didn't wake me from my wonderful sleep just to have a little chat in your office. I hope this is important, or else I'm going back to bed!" Pierce's clearly irritated voice floated through the open office door, announcing to Colonel Potter that Radar had been successful in pulling the surgeons out of bed. A moment later, Pierce strode in followed by Hunnicutt. Radar hung back behind them, making sure that they reached the Colonel's office. They both took small, measured steps toward his desk. Apparently, they were not yet fully awake.

"How 'bout a small drink to get the blood movin'?" Colonel Potter questioned, pouring himself and the two surgeons a bit of Scotch from the bottle on his desk.

"Why not a big drink with an umbrella? You know, like the ones they give you when you go to the beach. If Radar hadn't woken me up when he did, I would still be there!" Pierce's bunkmate gave a slight smirk at his words.

"Just a small drink for now. I have an important assignment for you two that can't wait."

"What is it, Colonel?" B.J. asked, a look of concern spreading slowly across his features.

"What is it? We can take it," joked Hawkeye, drinking down what was left of his Scotch.

"An aid station not 15 miles down the road was hit by some heavy shelling early this morning. I got the call from ICOR about it, five minutes ago. The shelling's finally stopped, but there seems to be a considerable amount of wounded unaccounted for that had been waiting treatment in that aid station; at least 15 to 20 men. I want you two to go up there and see if there are any survivors. The 8063rd is also going to be sending two of their best, so you won't be at this alone. If there are survivors, bring as many as we can afford back here. We'll be waiting for them. They need to be top priority." Both Hawkeye and B.J. nodded their heads in understanding.

"We'll bring back all that we can in one piece, Colonel," B.J. promised.

"You can count on us," Hawkeye added, giving the Colonel a mock solute.

"I'll have Radar get everything set up for you. Just promise me you'll both come back safe."

"Have we ever let you down?" Hawkeye asked, giving the Colonel a small smile before he walked out of the office, B.J. trailing close behind.

* * *

"Beej, are you sure we're on the right road?" Hawk asked from the passenger's seat, anxiousness creeping into his voice.

"Absolutely, Hawk. Although, I do admit that this is taking a bit longer than I would have thought."

"I wouldn't be surprised, considering who's sitting in the drivers seat at present."

"Are you implying something, _Captain_ Pierce?"

"No, I'm just asking you, subtlely, if it would kill you to drive faster!" They had launched into one of their mock fights that they often had to ease the tension in a situation. Both of them could feel the anxious air that had settled around them. Neither wanted to dwell on this feeling, so they continued on with their senseless banter.

"If _I _was driving, we could have been there by now."

"If you were driving, we would have winded up in a ditch by now."

"Why you little…"

"Ah, ah, ah, don't say anything you can't take back later." B.J. flashed Hawk a victorious smile.

"Fine but… Beej look out!" Looking up, suddenly, B.J. swerved to miss a newly overturned Jeep that was positioned in the middle of the road. Thick smoke plumed up from the wreckage, and from this both of them knew that it couldn't have been there for long.

Hawkeye jumped out of the Jeep before B.J. had completely shut off the vehicle. The driver's side of the overturned Jeep was facing away from the road, and through the intense smoke Hawkeye couldn't see if there was anyone inside from his present angle.

"Doesn't look like there's anybody here," B.J. stated, giving the Jeep a quick once-over.

"Don't be so sure," Hawk answered, slowly working his way to the other side of the vehicle. Despite the dark smoke that had settled around their heads, it only took Hawkeye a minute to spot a head of flaming auburn hair within the vehicle.

"Beej!" He called, frantically. "Get my kit! There's a woman trapped inside here!"

From what Hawkeye could see, getting to the woman wouldn't be all that difficult. The crash had tilted her slightly toward the passenger's side of the car, but Hawk figured that he could still get a decent grab on her to pull her out. B.J. was at his side almost instantly, willing to help him with this. It took them several minutes, but they were finally able to pry the still body of the woman from the wreckage of the Jeep. Hawkeye felt for her pulse almost immediately. It was still there; surprisingly strong for all that this body had just been through. They found a first aid bag next to where she had been sitting in the Jeep. Apparently, she had been attempting to escape from the aid station when a blast turned her Jeep over.

"She's just a girl!" Hawk exclaimed, studying her features more closely now that he had her cradled in his arms. He glanced sideways at B.J. who returned his look with a grim expression. "What was she doing out here?"

"I don't know, but if we don't get her back soon she's not going to survive much longer." Hawk nodded in agreement, carrying her to the Jeep. He settled her on his lap as he sought a comfortable position to sit down in. B.J. nearly jumped into the driver's seat, quickly starting the car.

"The 8063rd can take care of the others at the aid station. As much as I'd hate to say it, I don't think that there will be many survivors." B.J.'s words made Hawk shiver, unexpectedly. He glanced down at the girl, marveling at the strange calm that her features had worked themselves into. Slowly, he brushed a lock of her vibrant hair away from her face.

"You don't know how lucky you are."


	2. A Glimpse of Hope

I'm just going to dedicate the whole story to all of my great supporters out there! Couldn't have done this without you. If any of you are wondering, all reviews will be answered at the posting of the next chapter. I know that this chapter is short, and I promised to get it out yesterday; but my parents decided to take my siblings and me on a surprise vacation for the next three days. I have been packing and trying to get everything together, so I really didn't have time to write. :-( I promise that you will all get a nice long chapter when I return! Until then, enjoy!

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Mel didn't want to leave the comforting darkness that presently surrounded her. Here, she could remember who she was and what she stood for. Here, she was still blissfully ignorant about the world as a whole. There was no blood, no terror, no death. She had the fantasy of a normal life, and somehow she knew that this wasn't the way it should be. Some little voice in the back of her mind urged her to wake and face the problems that now lie in her way; but every time that little voice spoke up she seemed to settle further into the darkness.

Foreign voices often intruded on her while she remained hovering in that non-descript place. The voices said things that would have scared her long ago. Now, she had no feeling, no opinion. She liked this. Mel could hear the voices trying to urge her, to coax her out of the darkness. They seemed desperate to lure her from this strange paralysis that now gripped both body and mind. The voices called it hysterical paralysis. They said that her only way out of the darkness was for her mind to come to terms with what went on in that aid station. Mel _did_ want to wake up, but only to the semi-normal life she once had before this senseless war had torn it all apart. She just wanted to open her eyes and find that she had been living in a horrific nightmare for the past six months of her life. The little voice of reason in the back of her mind continued to insist that this would never be possible.

* * *

Hawkeye Pierce was puzzled by the state of his new patient. Never had he seen a condition like this that frustrated him like the one at hand. It had been a week since he pulled the girl from the wreckage of the bombed Jeep, and still she showed no signs of response. If he didn't know any better, he would say that she had given up on life. He truly didn't blame the girl for not wanting to emerge from her apparently peaceful state of rest and into this hellhole. He didn't know what she had been doing here in the first place. They had searched her medical bag and had found no personal information whatsoever that would give them a clue as to who she was. She no longer seemed to care about who she was as long as she remained far away from the war. It was a heavy price to pay.

While on rounds one afternoon, Hawkeye paused to look at the girl's chart. Her vitals were normal in every respect, save for the fact that she had yet to show any signs of consciousness. Something inside of him wanted this frail beauty to wake, to show that even in war there was such thing as a miracle. She had been the only one from the aid station to survive the horrible shelling. When the 8063rd arrived at the station, they found it in shambles. Inside, there were the bodies of no less than fifteen men lying dead on the dirt floor. None of them had even the slightest chance of living.

Sighing heavily, he replaced the girl's chart on the hook at the end of the bed and sat down slowly on the edge of it. Gently brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face, he contemplated her situation. She was obviously alone in this terrifying war zone with no family to speak of. She had incredible strength to be out in the midst of battle doing what she did, but it was still not her place. Hawkeye wished he could understand her motives for doing what she had done. His hand caught hers in a gesture of comfort. He wished he had been there to help this girl. Something inside of him wanted to protect her. He could not take this feeling lightly.

"Listen," he began, staring at her still features. He did not know if she could here him or not, but he continued on nevertheless. "I know you probably can't here me, but incase you can, I need to tell you something important. You need to wake up now. You need to prove to all of us that there's some light in the middle of all the smoky haze of the gun shells. The aid station you came from had no survivors left. You're the only one. I can tell that you're strong, but you're unsure," his soft tone broke as tears began collecting in his eyes. "You've made it this far. You're safe now, and I promise that you won't have to go back out there again. Please wake up. You have a whole group of people here who want to help you, so let them."

Hawkeye took a deep breath, collecting himself. He rarely got so emotional over a single patient. All of the non-stop surgery he had been doing lately must really have been getting to him. He considered calling Sidney Freedman for himself as well as the girl who lie in front of him. Hawkeye moved to get up, giving the girl's hand a light squeeze before moving to his next patient. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that she squeezed back.


	3. Gray Areas

Thanks to all those who reviewed so far! You're acknowledgements are coming up momentarily. Thanks for all the constant support, readers. The story would certainly not be continued without your valuable insight.

**b.f. pierced: **Yep Hawk's quite disturbed by what's going on with this girl. She' s reminding him of a certain someone that he knew a long time ago. (Any guesses?) This will be explored in later chapters. Glad you like the story. I will keep it coming as long as you keep reviewing. As for my vacation, I wrote most of this while looking out on a beautiful beach on Lake Michigan. I would say that I enjoyed it.

**Cyberchick2007: **Thanks for all of the great compliments. I did have a great time on my trip!

**Lt. Father Mulcahy: **Thanks, Father, for the great review! Your character gets a mention in this chapter and will play a significant part in the story later. Until then, stay tuned and keep reading!

**Fishogynist:** Thanks so much! You will be getting lots more!

**Firebirdgirl: **I was really afraid at first about writing Hawkeye, but I'm glad that you're convinced. I think I have a bit more confidence about it now. Sydney gets a mention in this chapter and we will definitely be hearing from him again.

**Kimberly: **I'm glad you liked the characterization. I guess I wanted to keep the "rescue scene" simple, so I tried to include only two characters. You are right, though. I should have included Klinger or someone else in the party. Thanks for my first constructive criticism!

That's all folks! Please review if you want your name here! Enjoy the new chapter!

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Mel's POV

I stared down, blankly, at the bed sheets that covered me. I ran the edge of the sheet through my fingers one last time before staring up into the depthy eyes of Dr. Sydney Freedman, the resident psychiatrist. He hadn't yet given up getting me to talk since I regained full consciousness just five days ago. Incidentally, Sydney had been the first person I had met upon waking in the 4077th MASH. I hadn't even suspect that he was a psychiatrist until he returned on the second day and began to question me about the events of that horrible day nearly two weeks before. I didn't want to tell him anything; for fear that all of my thoughts would spill out. It was becoming progressively harder to ignore the man's patient questions.

Sydney (as he had told me to call him) was not the only one who tried constantly to get me to talk. Doctors Hunnicutt and Winchester asked me simple questions. They talked to me constantly despite the silence they received in response. Major Houlihan, the head nurse, loved to talk to me about what she wanted her life to be like when the war was over. I saw her act drastically different toward the others in the camp, and I wanted to ask her why she hid herself from the rest of the world. Father Mulcahy had stopped by in an attempt to get me to pray the Rosary with him. After that, he talked to me about the trials that God sometimes brings us in our lives. He said that we become better people by being able to remain faithful in these times. It seems that I've already failed at this. Even Radar, the personable, young company clerk, and Klinger, the possibly crazy Corporal who never failed to show up at my bedside dressed in women's clothing, came to sit with her regularly.

Although I was appreciative of their company, I was disappointed to discover that none of them were the owners of the voice who had spoken to me the night before I had regained consciousness. I had thought, for a brief period of time, that I may have imagined the voice or that a divine being had visited me in the night. I didn't even want to entertain the thought that this man, whoever he had been, was avoiding me. I woke up everyday expecting him to come to my bedside just for a brief visit. I couldn't ask the identity of this strange man, nor could I get his words out of my head. For the first time since I came to Korea, I felt like someone shared my experience. Whoever had spoken to me that night seemed as if he rarely spoke to people as he had done with me. I felt both surprised and grateful to him for this. I desperately wanted to thank him, but wasn't sure if I could bring myself to do so; even if I did ever discover who he was.

* * *

Third Person POV

"Welcome back, Hawk," B.J. greeted, looking up from the letter he was reading to see Hawkeye saunter into the Swamp, a smile plastered onto his face. "How was Tokyo?"

"Wonderful; beautiful. It's amazing that I can even say that considering I spent most of my time in a Geisha house. The only time I ventured out was to get a breath of fresh air." B.J. chuckled slightly at this and moved over on the bed, so Hawkeye could sit next to him. "I'm sure nothing's changed here since I've been away."

"No, not really. Same kids coming here everyday looking for a room at the inn, asking to get their wounds patched up. You know how that goes." A grave expression formed on Hawkeye's face. He had certainly not been looking forward to returning to the 4077th for that reason.

"Oh, how's my patient. You know that girl who was in the coma?"

"Doing a lot better. She woke up about five days ago. Potter had me call Sydney down for her. He suspected she'd be a bit confused when she woke up. So far, no one's been able to get anything out of her. Charles and I talk to her every time we're in post-op, but she hasn't said a word to either of us. Margaret, Father Mulcahy, Radar, and even Klinger have all tried to get her to talk, but she won't say a word to any of us. I can't even imagine what she saw in that aid station. How long do you think she was there?" B.J. looked up at Hawkeye who had crossed the tent to get a drink from the still. Hawkeye could see the pain in his eyes; the fear for a girl he hardly even knew. These were the emotions that Hawkeye had felt when he pulled her out of the Jeep and could still feel churning inside of him, even now.

"I have no idea, Beej. I really don't want to know." He set the martini glass that he was holding on the table beside his bed. "I'll unpack later. Now, I think I need to pay a little visit to Sleeping Beauty and see if I can get her to talk to me." He strode to the door of the Swamp only turning around when B.J. asked him another question.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He had already put down his letter and was now leaning over his bed in an attempt to find his shoes.

"No, I think it would be better if I talked to her alone." B.J. said no more, picking up the letter once again before he heard the door to the Swamp shut.

"Good luck, Hawk. I have a feeling that you're going to need it."

* * *

Post-op was unusually quiet when Hawkeye entered. Most of the patients were asleep or conversing in whispers with the person in the bed next to them. There were no doctors on duty at present; just Nurse Able who was sitting at the desk in the corner making notes on a patient's chart. She glanced up at Hawkeye as he approached her.

"How's the girl doing?" He gave a brief nod of his head in the direction of the girl's bed.

"Still not talking, Hawk. Her injuries are almost fully healed. We've been taking her off of the morphine, slowly. If you wanted to talk to her, she should be awake." He gave her a strained smile of thanks before walking to the end of the girl's bed. Picking up the chart that hung from her bed on a single hook, he saw that all of her vitals were normal. She was progressing excellently. She could be out of here in a few days. He could send her home if only he knew where home for her was.

Hawkeye studied the girl for a long moment. Someone had propped her up slightly in the bed. This was just enough for her to see the immediate area around her. She could not see all of the others who shared her pain in this place. He didn't know if this had been by pure coincidence, or by the suggestion of Sydney. She did not seem interested in anything else but the ceiling. Her eyes were fixed on it, unwavering, as Hawkeye hovered at her bedside. He could see the pain, and above all else, the fear that shown in her gaze. Maybe she thought that if she ignored him he would just go away. Unfortunately, she did not know the determination and sheer stubbornness that was his driving force in situations such as these. He really needed to get her to talk.

Hawkeye's only wish at the present time was to be able to send this innocent girl home. He had no idea how she had found herself caught up in this war, but he had vowed to take her away from it as soon as humanly possible. This would never happen unless they had some kind of identification from her. This country that had been ripped apart at the seams was no place for a teenage girl. Her biggest worry in life should have been what boy was going to ask her to go steady with him, not about what measures she had to take in order to ensure her survival. This was the thing about war that he hated the most; the fact that it forced you to do things beyond possibility. Things no normal person should ever be called upon to do. Clearly, they were no longer normal.

Hawkeye placed her chart back onto its hook, and slowly sat down on the side of her bed. Her gaze did not stray from the ceiling for even a moment.

"It's nice to just look up there and pretend like none of this is really happening, isn't it?" This time, his words got a reaction from her. She ripped her eyes away from the ceiling and sought his gaze. She stared at him for a long moment, confusion and, then, relief invading her expression. "It's easier; there's no pain, no blood, no fear. It's just you and whatever else you've been dreaming up." The expression on her face remained the same as she pushed herself down further on the bed. "No, no. I want you to see this." Gently, Hawkeye lifted the girl onto the pillows, so that she was sitting up all the way. Her gaze suddenly darted to the bed. Hawkeye lifted her chin, so that her gaze was just on him. He could see that her eyes now glistened with unshed tears. Inside, his heart was breaking for her, but he knew he had to do this if she was ever going to face the mess that she had been forced into. "What are you so afraid of?" He asked softly, his eyes never straying from hers. "These are people, just like you. They've been mixed up in something that was never their fault; _just like you_. Do you understand that? None of this was your fault." He paused momentarily, letting this information sink in. Her gaze wandered from his, observing the wounded that lie across from her sleeping in their beds. Her eyes found his again before she began sobbing softly. Hawkeye reached up to grip her shoulders, loosely. "I'm sorry that this has happened to you; I'm sorry that you had your innocence stolen from you. They had no right to take it away. No right." At this point, his thoughts were beginning to intrude. He forced himself to stop and start again.

"You never deserved what happened to you. You were just doing a good thing-" He was cut off abruptly by the girl's harsh response.

"But it wasn't good enough! I tried to fit in, to pull my weight since I came here. No one wanted my help. In the end they were all depending on me. I thought I was going to be safe! I thought I knew what I was doing! Why didn't I see this coming?" Her words were swallowed up by the wracking sobs that shook her body. She leaned forward into Hawkeye as his arms closed around her.

"Shhh," he comforted. "You're not alone in this," he assured her. "Never alone." His words died away, softly. He sat like this with the girl enveloped in his arms until Nurse Able brought him back to reality, suggesting that he go back to the Swamp for some much needed sleep.


	4. Revelations

**Firebirdgirl: **I'm glad I was able to convey some real emotion in this chapter. Good guesses on who the character might be. I did think about it making that girl who was engaged to him in the states, but decided against it. Read on to find out who it is!

**Lt. Father Mulcahy: **I'm glad you really like the story! Father Mulcahy is one of my favorite characters in the series, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to give him an important part in my story. We should be seeing more of him in the next chapter!

**4077hawk: **Yay! I new reviewer with good taste! (If I do say so myself.) I'll try not to keep you in suspense too much, but I make no promises. (I'm evil like that.) I'm really glad you like the story. Good guesses on who I was talking about! You will soon find out who it really is.

**Cyberchick2007:** Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer. I'm glad that I was able to convey some real emotion in this chapter. Here's your update! Enjoy!

Okay, the moment you've all been waiting for. Who is the mystery person in Hawkeye's life who Melinda reminds him of? In the early episodes of MASH, Hawkeye rights a letter home to his father. He mentions a sister in this letter, but then later says that he's never had one to the others in the camp. What if Hawkeye didn't want the others to know about his sister's tragic death? Her death is tied to the reason Hawkeye feels so protective of Melinda. I hope this will answer all questions you might have. If you still have questions, please feel free to e-mail me or drop me a review. I will answer your question as soon as possible. Now, please, enjoy!

* * *

_"Benny! Stop being such a slowpoke! Hurry and come play with me!" His little sister whined, tugging on his arm, excitedly. He shook her off, clearly annoyed. At ten years old, he would never before have been considered responsible enough to watch his sister while his father was out. The only reason that he was now alone in the house with his screaming sister was that his father had gotten an urgent call from the hospital, demanding that he get down there at once._

_Caroline was thrilled to be in the house alone with her big brother. At five years old, she felt grown up at the prospect of her father leaving her and Ben home by themselves. He had promised her that he would be home by dark. She jogged into the kitchen, hoisting herself up onto the counter to peer out the window that was over the sink. When she was able to situate herself comfortably on the counter, she noticed that the sun was just now dipping below the calm surface of the Atlantic Ocean. A frown worked itself over her features. Her father had promised that he would be home by now! _

_Over the water she could see the large, red lighthouse, which was positioned on the edge of the town that jutted out into the water. She knew that this is where the hospital was. She had been there once when she was very little to visit her mother. Caroline never wanted to go back to that place because that's where the angel's had come to take away her mother. She knew she wasn't ready to be taken by the angel's just yet. Every time her father was needed at the hospital, she worried about him. She knew that there was a chance that he would not come home to them, too._

_"Benny!" Her cries echoed throughout the kitchen. "I'm going to get Daddy!" She waited briefly for his response, and when he gave her none, she walked quickly over to the back door. She was slow in opening it. The lock had always given her trouble. Caroline struggled with the lock for another minute before it gave way freely under her grasp._

_As soon as she stepped out of the house, the chilly night air overcame her. Putting on a sweater seemed to pale in comparison next to the thought of never being able to see her father again. She wrapped her small arms around her tight as she took great care in walking down to the shoreline. Occasionally, one would find crabs and sharp shells scattered along the path to the beach. She had to be careful about where she stepped. She didn't want anything to slow her down. _

_Caroline had worked her way down the path in less than five minutes. She was now pacing, slowly, up and down the beachfront, letting the cool surf hit her toes. She had not stopped to think about how she was going to get out to her Daddy when she reached the water. She _had_ taken swimming lessons the year before. After their neighbor a few houses down had nearly drowned in the surf one afternoon, her father didn't want to take any chances. All the instructors at the Community Center said she was a better swimmer than her brother, Ben. She was sure _he_ could swim out to Daddy if he wanted to. Why couldn't she?_

_It took Caroline several minutes to get used to the water. To her, it was certainly not as cold as the breeze that had met her when she had first stepped out of the house, but it still sent shivers through her small body. She tried to distract herself with thoughts of her brother. She wondered, briefly, if he had minded that she had gone to look for her Daddy. She knew that, given the chance, Ben would have set out to bring her father back as well. As fate would have it, he was stuck babysitting her for the evening and couldn't set foot outside of the house. In Caroline's mind, she was the only one who could possibly rescue her father.

* * *

_

_Ben descended the stairs, slowly; his eyes scanning the room for the head of flaming red hair that belonged to his sister. _

_"Caroline!" He called, his voice echoing throughout the house. He waited, silently, for an answer. When none came, he began searching the rooms of the house, panic seeping into his actions. "Carrie, this isn't funny! Daddy's going to be upset with you when he comes home to find his favorite little girl hiding from him." When that did not lure her out of her hiding place, Ben knew that there was something very wrong. He thought back to minutes before when he had gone upstairs to look for a story that he could read her to calm her down. He had last seen her jogging into the kitchen as he made a quick trip to her room. He hadn't even been gone five minutes. Then again, Caroline seemed to find trouble rather quickly. He silently scolded himself for not watching her more carefully. His father would be furious if he found out that he had lost his baby sister. _

_Crossing the threshold into the kitchen, he noticed that the back door had somehow gotten open. Fear gripped him like a vice. How could she have managed to open the door? He rushed over to the sliding glass doors, peering out down at the beach below. He could see no one there. Just tiny footprints leading up to the part of the shore that was directly in back of the house. He sprinted over to the coat rack that was nailed to the wall in the entryway of the dining room. He grabbed his blue sweater and her green one off of the hooks and rushed outside toward the beach. _

_"Caroline!" He called again. The cry was lost in the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. "Caroline!" This time, his yell was a bit louder, and Caroline paused to respond before taking another step into the waves._

_"Benny!" She called back, the noise drawing his eyes to her form. She was about 15 feet from the shore. The water was already up to her waist._

_"Caroline! Don't go any further! Come back out, or I'm coming in to get you!" She contemplated his words for a moment before she spoke again._

_"I can't, you can't! I'm going to get Daddy!" With that, she took another step. The waves lapped up against her more violently now. Ben could feel that the wind had picked up suddenly._

_"Caroline, you can't get Daddy! You're going to get hurt if you stay out there. Caroline, I'm responsible for you. You _have_ to do as I say!" Ben could see that his words had done nothing to coax her from the water. She had now taken several more steps in. The water was up around her chest. _

_"No, I don't! I need to see Daddy! I won't let him disappear like Mommy! I won't!" Ben stopped, listening intently to her words. It was only three years ago that his mother had gone into that hospital and never emerged. His dad had told Caroline that the angels had taken her to a better place. He knew the real truth of the matter, but it made it no easier for him. He understood Caroline's pain and fear. She wasn't the only one whose sleep was interrupted by nightmares on many occasions. He had spent many a restless night waiting for the day to break because he didn't want to fall asleep again. Somewhere in his mind, he had always known that Caroline had understood more about their mother's death than she had ever let on. He couldn't imagine the pain that her five-year-old form held. _

_"Please, Caroline! Please, come out of the water!" He screamed, desperation creeping into his tone. This would be his last chance to lure her out. She was already up to her neck in the water. _

_"No, Ben. I've got to do this for you, Daddy, and me! We have to stay-" Her words were cut off, abruptly, as Caroline's head disappeared beneath the churning waves. Time seemed to pass unusually slow for Ben. It took him several moments to react. When he did finally regain his composure, he ran into the surf without any second thought. Diving under the waves, he could feel the salt water burning his eyes. He struggled to keep them open, trying to spot his sister's body. _

_Ben kicked his way through the violent waves until he knew that he could stay underwater no longer. His lungs were starved with air. He attempted to propel himself towards the surface, but a strong wave knocked him back further into the water. How was he going to help Caroline if he drowned himself? Suddenly, he felt a strong hand clasp around the material at the back of his shirt. He was pulled upward, out of the water. There, he took a gulp of fresh air. He was never more grateful to feel the moist sand of the beach beneath him._

_Cocking his head slightly to the side, he saw that it was his father who had pulled him out of the water. _

_"Hawk, can you stay here why I look for your sister?" His words came out shaky and uncharacteristic of Daniel Pierce's usual demeanor. Hawkeye gave a brief nod of his head, before crawling further toward the path that led to the house. He watched his father dive beneath the waves and come up with no luck. He dove a second time. He brought up the still body of his sister; her flaming red hair dripping all over his father's already soaked work clothes. _

_They laid her out on the beach, trying all that they could to revive her. They performed CPR on her deathly still form, but she still did not move. _

_"Hawkeye, how could you have left her alone like that?" His father questioned, clearly enraged. "Hawkeye?" He felt someone shake him, almost violently, from behind. "Hawkeye! Hawkeye!"_

"What, what?" He heard himself answer.

"C'mon, you gotta get to Post-op. Sydney wants to talk to you about that girl, Melinda. He said it was pretty urgent. You gotta go now!" He opened his gummy eyelids to see his bunkmate, B.J. Hunnicutt, standing over him. He let out a heavy sigh, sitting up. "You looked like you were having a pretty bad dream there. Anything I could help with?" He looked up at B.J. while tying the laces of his left boot.

"Nothing a day in our little corner of hell wouldn't drive out of your mind." Without another word, he put his other boot on and began the short walk to Post-op. He figured that while Sydney was there, he may just need his help, too.


End file.
